Distance
by AnimeDawn
Summary: Everyone gets sick of being away from the one they love - especially Shougo and Rei! Imagine how difficult that must be! So, the blonde singer thinks of a way to amend for that, much to Rei's surprise. *Includes Bonus After-story!
1. Distance

Rei was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea all alone, thinking. Shougo always loved to have tea with him, though he usually preferred to sip on espresso or a soda. But if he was asked if he wanted a cup of tea, he would say yes and drink it just because Rei had been the one to offer. Because spending time with Rei meant more than the tea did.

They talked about all kinds of things together during those times - concerts, Izumi, Ryouma, Izumi. Rei smiled. It was clear they both talked the most about Izumi, he'd realized that long ago. It was all they could do to find some other topic aside from that kid to chat about. Every time it was mostly either about how Izumi was doing, or sweet words of love about each other.

God, they sounded just like an old married couple whenever they talked about that stuff.

But, regardless of how it appeared, both topics were Rei's favorite; and he had a fierce hankering right now to sit down with that handsome blonde and talk until the sky faded out. Unfortunately, Shougo had just left on a large concert tour around Japan, and he wouldn't be back for six months at least. He took a big gulp of tea and rubbed at his face tiredly.

 _Why do his concert tours always have to be so long...?_

God, how he missed that singer's melodious voice right now!

"I wonder how his day's going?" Rei mused to himself. Slipping his hand into his suit pocket, he brought out his cell phone and checked his text messages. Forty messages, all of them old. It didn't matter; he reread them anyway so that he could be one step closer to Shougo.

12:00 A.M. Concert's over now! Turnout was great! Wish u were here! T^T

1:30 A.M. At the bar now. Got persuaded to sing karaoke, brb!

1:50 A.M. Crowd loved it, wouldn't let me stop for 20 mins! My throat hurts, waaah!

2:30 A.M. Finally back at hotel. Jeez, tired and drunk as hell but can't sleep! WTF?

The list just went on and on. From the look of things, Shougo hadn't slept a wink until at least five this morning. That couldn't be good, especially since his concerts were all late-night affairs. He couldn't really condemn the guy for wanting to have a bit of fun though. Being a popular rock star was a busier job than most people realized. It was a full-time gig, nearly 24 hours every single day of every week of every month. And Shougo had been at this for how many years exactly...?

Rei suddenly found himself wishing, for a fleeting instant, that he was on tour with Shougo too. It seemed like he was having a blast all the time according to the thousands of texts that he'd sent over the few months he'd already been gone. The disgruntled manager frowned, and decided to add a dash of rum to his tea. When was the last time that Rei had taken a trip anywhere with the singer? Even if he just sat at the hotel all day and all night, it would still be better than spending these solitary months in his bed, wishing that there was a certain body's warmth lying beside him...

 _I wish I could ask him to let me come. But I have too many responsibilities to just up and leave whenever he has a concert tour... Damn it all!_

Rei was in the middle of taking a sip of his doctored tea, when suddenly his phone vibrated and let out a soft _bing._ He nearly choked on the drink and almost dropped the cup in his panic. A text from Shougo? At this time of night? Wasn't he supposed to be mid-concert right now? Hurriedly placing the teacup down, he flipped the screen up to read the message. It was indeed from Shougo.

'Sup Rei? ;)

The manager sighed, his heart fluttering at the unexpected chance to have a conversation with his lover, and read his reply aloud as he typed it. "Why the hell aren't you at the concert?"

He clicked the send button, and sat back in his chair. Not that he was complaining or anything, but he didn't want Shougo to get in trouble for slacking off. Letting out a breath, he ran his hand through his hair. Why didn't that moron just call him? Surely it would've been easier than texting him about every little thing! But now that he thought about it, lately the singer had been getting into texting a lot during his travels. He just about never phoned Rei anymore. Could it be that Shougo _wasn't_ eager to hear his voice? A few minutes later, his phone binged again.

Got hung over, told the boys to hold down the fort for me. :)

Rei shook his head and chuckled. "Hangovers don't last all day long."

Nope. Just wanted an excuse to talk with u. 3

A lump formed in Rei's throat as he read that. Shougo was missing him too? The thought made his heart swell. Seriously though... Why not just call him? That is how most normal people communicate, after all...

He blinked. These texts were starting to bug him, oddly enough. Why was it nagging at him all of a sudden? Shouldn't he just be glad that the guy was taking time out to see how he was? Shougo and him hardly ever got the chance to text like this. Not to say that he never recieved any texts, but neither of them could properly reply to each other until much later. Usually Rei would be too busy during the day to send anything; and then at night when he was free, Shougo was busy with his concerts. One person sent some, and then another person sent more later. Keeping up the pace of a regular face-to-face conversation while doing that was really hard, so this was a rare opportunity! And he was wasting it! He didn't want to squander his one chance to actually talk with Shougo, so he did his best to ignore his annoyance.

"I'm touched, but won't you get in trouble?"

Nah. But even if I did, who cares? Talking with u is worth getting into a bit of trouble. (^_^)

"Shougo..." Rei couldn't help but smile. That crazy guy sure did love to bend the rules for him, didn't he? "So, how's the tour going so far?"

Great! I got to see tons of nature and fast food! :P Oh, and one fangirl bought me a super cool necklace! Look, see?

The cell binged again, and Rei opened up the text to see a picture of the necklace that Shougo had been given. He was wearing it around his neck, an intricately carved silver dagger pendant with folded angel's wings enveloping the blade on either side; but Rei wasn't looking at that so much as he was staring longingly at that slender throat.

So deliciously kissable...

He blushed hotly at his arousal and hurriedly replied, "That's cool." Leave it to Shougo to turn him on with something so innocent as a picture of his neck. That bastard.

U weren't staring at the necklace, were u? Mwahahaha...

"Shut up!" Rei snapped at the screen, his face flaring up. He was so embarrassed that he nearly forgot Shougo couldn't actually hear what he was saying. He grumbled under his breath to himself. "I was so! Jerk..."

I don't mind tho, Rei. U can stare at me as much as u want. ;) Got any requests?

 _Huh!? Requests!?_ Rei swallowed thickly as he tried to process in his brain what that statement might mean. _Is he going to take pictures of himself and send them to me?_

 _Naked pictures!?_

Then his phone binged, and binged again, and again. When he finally managed to control his trembling fingers enough to check his messages, there were three new texts in his inbox. The first one read:

'Cuz I have one. A request, I mean.

Rei shuddered. _What do I do if he asks me to strip and send him pics of_ my _body!? No way would I ever be brave enough, not to mention stupid enough, to do that!_ Almost dreading to read the next two texts, he tapped the second one open.

I'm hoping u'll be able to grant it for me.

"That depends on what you're asking for, Shougo." And then, with extreme trepidation, he read the final text...

Rei stared at the words. His mouth hung open for the longest time until his hand came up and stifled a sob. He was completely blown away. Did he really mean that? Was he drunk, or was it said in all seriousness? He had never imagined that Shougo would ever have the courage to say that. And he hadn't even really spoken. He'd just texted it! How could he leave something that important to a fucking text!? Rei forced himself to breathe to calm down his rapidly beating heart. He placed the phone on the table and felt tears prick his eyes. Right in the middle of the screen, in big, bold letters, was Shougo's request. The one thing he was asking Rei for. It wasn't a nude photo, or anything of the sort. No, what the blonde was asking for was something of a much more priceless nature.

Marry me.

 _Holy fucking shit. Holy..._ It was a subject that neither of them had discussed, not once. But now that it was out there in the open, Rei had no choice but to come to a decision. The manager could barely see what he was typing, his eyes were so watery. "What made you ask me this, Shougo?"

Funny, u shouldn't have to ask, right?

"I need to hear why. Please?"

'Kay, then lemme ask u a question... Why do u think I text u so often about everything I'm doing?

Rei's brow furrowed as he thought about it. _Because he's enjoying himself? Because he doesn't want me to worry? Because he wants to include me, even when he's far away? It could be a combination of so many things. How do I know which reason is the real one? Hmm... I'd better ask him to explain._

"Tell me why."

I need to distract myself.

"Distract himself?" Rei frowned, wiping his eyes on the back of his arm. "Distract yourself from what?"

From the fact that u're not around.

Crap, the tears were coming back again. "Shougo..." He stared intensely at the screen, waiting for what Shougo would say next. He had no clue what to expect, but his entire being was on edge anyway - both from irritation and exhilaration. _I can't believe he's telling me all this through texts! He must be too nervous to just fucking call me, that ass!_ It took a while, but Rei's phone binged again. He opened it with as much recklessness as a child on Christmas day.

Every time I go out on tour, even when I just head back to my apartment for the night, I notice it. Just how empty my life is without u. I figure if I keep texting u about what I'm up to, I won't have time to think about u not being here. But... lately that hasn't been working. No matter how often I text, I can still feel the distance between u and me. I'm sick of the distance, Rei. I want u right by my side. I don't want u to ever leave it.

Rei was full on bawling as he read that. The depth of Shougo's feelings truly reached that far... and somehow the manager had always known, even without once mentioning it, that his desires matched his partner's. Both of them hated the distance, both of them wanted to stay close. Secretly he had always hoped to hear something like that from Shougo someday, when the time was right. It didn't matter that they would have to leave Japan and get married in a different country. Rei was perfectly willing to do that if it meant being with Shougo forever. The dream had crystallized into a beautifully shimmering reality. The only bad thing about it was...

 _I can't believe he texted it! I just can't get over that! Ugh... That idiot! I absolutely will not do the same thing! No way! No matter how badly I want to say it, I'm going to wait until he's right in front of me!_

So... Won't you plz marry me? Be mine, Rei. Be mine and no one else's.

* * *

Shougo flopped back onto his bed and sighed. He'd just gotten off of the plane after many tiring hours of flight and had taken a taxi to his apartment. It felt good to be back in a familiar room, with furniture that he was familiar with. The absolute first thing he'd done after leaving the airport was to text Rei and let him know that he was finally back home. Rei wasn't answering though, and it had already been 20 minutes. Not that he expected his lover to reply any time soon. Ever since that night, he hadn't talked to Shougo at all for the whole remainder of the tour.

 _Rei's avoided me for..._ He quickly did some mental math. _Six...? Yeah, six whole months._

The singer rubbed his face with his hands. He just couldn't understand what he'd done that would warrant six entire months of neglect. Had he been too forward about the whole proposal? He'd meant everything he said, right from the bottom of his heart; and though there had never before been a need to worry about Rei picking someone else other than him, after he'd popped the question and received no answer for six whole months, a tiny little seed of doubt had defiantly rooted itself in the pit of his stomach. The damn thing had been there for too long already, and was causing him daily pain. Even now, his stomach growled and grumbled, protesting against the presence of such a miserable intruder. He rolled onto his side, clutched it hard and clenched his teeth, grinding them together in an attempt to endure the agony.

 _Just ignore it. Ignore it..._

Abruptly his phone rang, screeching like a siren in the silence of the apartment, and Shougo jumped so badly that he fell right off the bed and hit the floor. In the middle of a groan, he flipped it open and answered. "Hello...?"

"Shougo?"

" _Rei!_ " Shougo sat bolt upright. His heart slammed painfully against his rib cage, and his stomach ache intensified to the point of making him feel nauseous. It was amazing how simply hearing the manager's voice again after being so long apart made every single fiber of his body instantly hum to life. "Hey... Um, what's up?"

"Honestly, Shougo. _What's up?_ " He heard the older man chuckle on the other end of the line. "What do you think's up?"

The blonde stood and brushed himself off absently. "S-sorry, I'm just a bit..."

"Aroused? 'Cause you sure sound like it."

He swallowed the urges as much as possible and settled himself down on the edge of the mattress. Now he really felt like vomiting. "I can't help that, Rei. I haven't heard your voice in forever, and it's so sultry."

"Sultry, huh? I'll have to remember to talk like that more often." Shougo could hear the smirk in Rei's voice, and just imagining it was getting him hard. He closed his eyes tight and did everything he possibly could to banish that image from his brain.

"So, you didn't answer any of my texts yet... It's been six months, Rei."

Rei sounded truly apologetic as he said, "I know. That's why I called. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you a lot sooner, but giving an answer in text about something like that is too impersonal for my tastes. I wanted to wait until you got back before I said anything."

Shougo let out a shaky breath and dropped his phone to his side. What a relief, Rei wasn't ignoring him out of anger. Oh how he longed for that manager to be here right now so he could caress him, kiss him, tell him just how much he loved him! He wanted to see him so much that it hurt to even think about it. Obviously he'd been gone for _way_ too long. It was always the same whenever he came back from a concert tour. But if Rei accepted his proposal, then... then maybe... he could come with him next time...

No, that thought was stressing him out too much. Rei loved him, but there was no guarantee that he would even say yes! He almost gagged when his stomach gave a nervous heave. _Damn you, seed of doubt! Get it together, Shougo!_ Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves (and prevent himself from puking all over the floor), the blonde held the phone back up to his ear.

"Hello? Shougo, are you still there?" Rei's confused voice drifted through the phone, and Shougo fought to muster up the amount of bravery required to speak. It took him a minute, but eventually he asked the question that burned him inside and out.

"A-and? What's your answer?"

Without warning the door behind him swung open, and he turned to see Rei standing in the doorway. His tie was loosened, and half of the buttons on his shirt were undone. Those glasses of his were nowhere to be seen, and he coolly snapped his phone shut with a flick of his wrist. He was an image of pure ecstasy. Shougo likely would have drooled if he hadn't just been caught so off guard.

"Rei...?" Shougo slowly rose up off the bed. Was this really real...? Was he truly here after all this time? His shock quickly melted into pure bliss as he realized that the manager wasn't vanishing into thin air. This couldn't be a dream. " _Rei!_ "

The blonde didn't waste any time. Rushing headlong into his lover's arms, he began pelting him with a flurry of kisses all over his throat, face and lips. He clung desperately to that man, trembling like a child as Rei soothed him with a gentle backrub; and all the while he could feel that body against his, smell his cologne, hear his heartbeat... Rei was right here! The one he'd gone for so torturously long without seeing was in his arms once more. His heart pulsed within him and his stomach turned over with every kiss he planted.

 _Rei, I missed you! God, I missed you..._

Only when Shougo stopped to tenderly nuzzle his partner's neck did Rei get to speak. "About your request..."

"Mm? What request?" Shougo breathed. Rei simply chuckled.

"You really don't remember?"

"Mm-mm..."

Rei slowly pulled away from the embrace, which was hard to do when _somebody_ wouldn't let go for anything. Shougo whimpered at the loss of contact and frowned.

"Hey! _Rei_...!"

"I want you to ask me again. Do it properly this time," he instructed, holding up his finger to poke the center of the singer's chest. When that statement was met with a dumbfounded, mildly bewildered expression, Rei growled. But it wasn't a menacing sound. It was more along the lines of exasperated. "Ask me to marry you properly, damn it!"

"Huh...? I didn't do it right before?" Shougo held his chin in his hand and looked thoughtful. "I told you why I love you, how much I miss you. That I never want to be apart from you... And then I asked you to marry me." He removed his hand to stare down at Rei with disbelief. "Is that not how it's done? Maybe I should've made myself do more studying first..."

Rei's stare was incredulous. "You... you actually had to study just to say that to me? What, did you go buy up a crap load of romance novels and read them all just to get the wording right!?"

"Actually, I just asked Izumi if I could borrow some of that romance manga he has." Shougo grinned, and shrugged awkwardly. "It's not half bad, Rei. You should try reading it sometime."

The manager's eye twitched slightly. _Those two really are eerily alike sometimes._

"But I guess I must've missed an important part or something if I said it wrong. Okay! Tell me what to do, Rei!" The blonde struck a determined hero pose, hefting his fist up in the air dramatically. For a split second the manager wondered why Shougo had decided against taking up acting. His charisma would have carried him far. "Tell me what I'm supposed to say, and I'll say it! I want everything to be absolutely perfect!"

Staring at the totally serious look on his lover's face, Rei couldn't stop himself. He launched into a fit of side-bursting laughter, and actually had to go sit down on the bed so that he wouldn't collapse on the floor. Meanwhile, Shougo had no idea what he'd done that had been so funny. He frowned at Rei, but the older man didn't notice.

 _I was trying to be serious. Now he's laughing at me..._

"Jeez, Rei," he mumbled as he sat down beside him, "you haven't laughed this hard since that time I got my favorite shirt stuck in the blender."

Rei let out a loud sigh, smiling as he wiped the tears out of the corners of his eyes. "Oh Shougo, I'm sorry for laughing but... Shit, that wasn't what I meant at all!"

The blonde blinked in surprise. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

He reached up to gently cup Shougo's face in his hands. He was smiling more sincerely now, and it made his face look all the more handsome. "You didn't say anything wrong. I loved the way you put your feelings into words. I just wanted you to ask me to my face, that's all."

Shougo stared into those beautiful eyes and swam in their depths for a long time. Now he finally understood.

 _"Giving an answer in text about something like that is too impersonal for my tastes."_

He had treated it as if it meant nothing to him, when in all honesty it meant so much. The only reason why he'd asked over a text in the first place was because he couldn't handle hearing Rei's voice and knowing that he was close yet so far. In fact, that was the entire reason why he'd decided against calling him while on tour. Yet, now that he thought about it, maybe it would've been better to wait until now to say those words...

Why hadn't he realized that sooner?

But he couldn't help it. It was just too lonely then, sitting there all alone in his hotel room. He hadn't wanted to wait. And now he actually had another chance to do things the right way. Rei was giving him another shot, probably because he understood the hardship of separation just as much as he did. Shougo's vision blurred as his eyes began to tear up.

 _He's letting me try again. He didn't give up on me. Oh, Rei..._

He smiled and gathered Rei's hands up in his own. Neither of them felt very steady. They were both quaking like leaves in the wind. When had that started...? _A-am I really that anxious...?_

"Shougo, I - "

Rei looked like he was going to try to console him, but he just had to get it out now. If he didn't, he was positive that he was going to vomit. And that would ruin everything. So, although he had intended to take his time, Shougo squeezed his eyes shut and blurted, "Rei, will you marry me?"

It didn't come out perfectly, like he'd imagined it would. He didn't even have the balls to look Rei in the eyes as he said it. For some reason he was embarrassed, and terrified, and dreading to open his eyes for an instant. So this was what it was like to lay your heart at someone's feet. They could either pick it up and cherish it, or stomp it into the dirt with their heel. He wasn't sure he liked that feeling of vulnerability. It had felt much different when he'd texted his proposal. Texting had been so much safer. You didn't have to witness the person's reaction firsthand, and if he were rejected...

No, that would hurt the same no matter what method was used.

 _Please say yes, Rei. Please... I couldn't bear it if you crushed my heart under your heel..._

There was silence for a moment. It seemed like a lifetime for Shougo, who still had his eyes shut. He didn't know what Rei's expression was, or if he was strong enough to manage seeing it. He broke into a cold sweat, and the seed of doubt stirred up his stomach until he felt truly queasy.

 _Come on, say something! I'm dying over here...!_

At long last, through the suffocating quiet he heard Rei say, "My answer is yes, obviously. You moron."


	2. BONUS: Suiken Dreams

"Rei, why don't you put on your swimming trunks?"

The manager gave his fiancé a dirty look, which only made Shougo laugh. "I mean, seriously! We're on a cruise and you're lying in a beach chair with your suit on! Loosen up a bit!"

Rei let out a huff, and flipped irritably to the next page of his book. "That's easy for you to say, Mr. Spotlight! I, unlike some, don't need to draw unnecessary attention to myself by exposing my body!"

The deluxe liner that they were currently on was one of the highest class vessels on the sea, the S.S. Myriad, and although Rei had insisted for Shougo not to go wild with his spending, the singer had brushed it off and purchased tickets for the cruise anyway. Honeymoons were supposed to be special, of course; but this seemed just a little bit overboard to him. There were so many rich snobs around that Rei felt seriously out of place. Plus, they weren't even married yet! But this fact seemed not to bother Shougo very much. If it did, he kept it pretty well hidden.

Most days, anyway.

"Hmm... You know, that's a good point." Rei glanced up to see if the blonde was joking, but his expression looked perfectly serious. And troubled. "Crazy perverts could be lurking just around the corner, ready to..." He shuddered, purposely leaving the end of his sentence off.

"Shougo... Are you, perhaps, afraid I'm going to be stolen away by one of these fancily clad gentlemen?" Rei offered casually.

Shougo started at the assumption and colored profusely. "Huh!? N-no, not me! Uh-uh! Nope!" He shook his head back and forth vigorously. Yet, after a moment's silence, he jabbed a finger at Rei and fairly ordered, "B-but you absolutely _cannot_ take those shades off! Not allowed, ever! Especially when we're in a huge group of people!"

Rei did his best to hide his amused smirk. It really pleased him to see Shougo getting all worked up. Okay, maybe 'pleased' wasn't quite the right word. He was touched that the singer was so afraid of losing him to someone else. That would never happen - hell would likely freeze over first - but whenever he fretted, and got jealous and protective, it showed that he cared. That was more proof than Rei had ever really needed of Shougo's love, but he enjoyed seeing it all the same.

"Fine, fine... I'll keep them on, for your sake," he conceded, reaching over to pat Shougo's forearm comfortingly. Not once did he look up from his book. "I'll also hold myself back from wearing anything too revealing around the general public."

 _Yes! I really dodged a bullet this time! I hate wearing swim trunks out where others can see me. It just garners way too much attention. This is great!_

* * *

A few hours later, Rei tugged at his hot collar as sweat trickled along his skin. This tropical weather wasn't suited for, well, wearing a suit. He was starting to boil inside it. And since he'd made such a big deal about the whole swimsuit thing, Shougo definitely wouldn't let him go change now, when he desperately wanted to.

 _Shit, this truly sucks..._

Rei sat forward in his chair and set his book down in his lap, throwing a quick glance over at his partner. Shougo was reclining as far back as he could with his hands behind his head, and he had a lazy, laid back smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of huge sunglasses too, so it was hard to guess whether he was staring off into space or snoozing in the sun. The leopard-spotted earbuds in his ears were playing music, but the manager couldn't tell what kind of tunes he was listening to. Probably stuff he wrote himself. Songs dedicated to Rei and no one else.

With as much subtlety as humanly possible, Rei got up out of the chair and padded past Shougo to go get something cool to drink. But before he moved too far away, he looked back over his shoulder. _Hm... Should I wake him up and tell him where I'm going? Well, I'm not going to be very long, so..._

He took a few more steps, and then heard a slight rustling. When he looked back, Shougo had rolled onto his side and pillowed his head under his arms. "... Rei...?" he mumbled groggily. "Don't... tell Ryouma-kun that... I rigged his car. The cameras..." The rest of the words became garbled and unintelligible.

Rei smiled fondly and went back to lean over his fiancé's sleeping form. "So I'm your partner in crime even in your dreams, huh Shougo?" He gave him a quick peck on the lips and smiled even brighter when he saw the contented look that spread over Shougo's features. "I'll be right back."

The S.S. Myriad's bar lounge was the stuff of dreams. Booze lined every shelf on every wall. It looked like the place had alcohol from every walk of life - Rei even noticed some high quality Japanese sake hiding amongst the assorted bottles. As for the décor, it was shockingly simple and built more for comfort than elegance. No gold plated thrones or diamond studded glasses here. _Finally,_ Rei thought, _a place where I might just fit in a bit!_

He strolled leisurely up to the counter and waited for the bartender to finish serving a customer. Then, when the man came up and asked him to pick his poison, Rei inquired, "What do you have that's strong and cool?"

"Well, lemme see..." The bartender was a great, grizzled man with a bristly beard and a wily smile. He easily towered over Rei with his height and brute strength, but he seemed less inclined to hurt others and more inclined to watch them do stupid shit while hammered - that was the impression he gave to the manager, anyway. The man smirked thoughtfully while he stared up at the roof, wiping his glass. "We have a bunch o' choices to choose from... But I don't know if a boy of your caliber could handle 'em. Might just wanna stick with a Coke for now, son."

Rei had never been the type to rise to other people's insults, but the offhanded smugness that this old sea dog was giving off made his skin prickle. Boy? Hah! He'd beaten men like him down just for staring at him sideways, never mind his obvious strength! Who exactly did this grandpa think he was talking to? Some prissy city kid who didn't know yin from yang!?

He was going to show everyone here what happened when they fucked with Rei Sagara!

He slammed his hands down hard on the counter, making all the glasses sitting on it rattle. The bartender watched with interest, waiting to see what kind of outburst he'd recieve for his ribbing; but Rei knew enough to keep the calm in his tone. "To be perfectly honest, at first I had to wonder why they would let the ship's janitor in to serve us all drinks, but since you're a senior I'll humor you a while. Give me what I asked for. I can handle anything you throw at me, old man."

He'd said it loud enough for everyone else in the surrounding room to hear. Their voices hushed. All eyes turned to Rei and the barkeep, whose face had just flushed a raging shade of red. He was fighting hard to control his temper, but seemed to be losing that inner battle. Rei knew he'd struck a double blow to the old guy's pride, and waited like a cobra for the next move.

Suddenly the bartender let loose a raucous clap of laughter. Nobody felt like they wanted to join in. Everybody present knew that this laugh wasn't one of good humor. That big fist slammed the cup down, and he forced a grin onto his weathered face. "So, you're one o' those young pups that got balls! Alright then, if you think you've got the stomach for it, how 'bout you and I have a little drinking contest? I'll pick the drink, and all you gotta do is stick it out to the bitter end! Think you can handle that, _son?_ "

The first twangs of uneasiness settled in Rei's stomach, but he didn't want to appear the coward in front of all those wide-eyed millionaires. His previous overheating now forgotten, he narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Damn right I can handle that!"

* * *

Shougo stretched his arms high above his head with a sigh. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and that nap up on deck had been just the pick-me-up he'd needed. He let his arms dangle over the back of his chair and turned to ask Rei how his book was going. It was shut, and that manager was nowhere to be seen.

He jolted himself upright and blinked the drowsiness away. Hadn't Rei been sitting there when he'd first fallen asleep!? Yeah, he remembered talking to him a little... But where was he now? Shougo pulled his sunglasses off and rubbed at his eyes to wake himself up more. _He was still wearing that suit, so he was probably getting really hot. I bet he went to go change._

Shougo sat there quietly in the chair for a minute until that thought fully sank in. "Urk! Go change!?" Shougo leapt up and sprinted towards the guest rooms. What if someone had tried to pick him up on the way to the pool or something!? _Sheesh, why didn't he wake me and tell me where he was going!?_ "If anybody touches Rei, I'm gonna kill them!"

The singer was in such a hurry that he nearly collided with a pretty young lady holding a parasol, instead managing to knock her slightly off balance as he zoomed past. Realizing too late that he shouldn't be rushing around in such a tiny corridor, he stopped to check on her, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. "Sorry about that, I was kinda in a rush. You okay?"

"Why yes, I'm right as rain. Thank you kindly for asking." Her British accent was quite formal and beautiful, just like the rest of her, but Shougo didn't have time to admire it.

"Great. Listen, I'm looking for a guy by the name of Rei Sagara. Have you heard of him by any chance?"

The lady held a finger up to her chin as she twirled her umbrella absently. "Hmm... Rei Sagara, is it? I can't say I recall such a name. I'm truly sorry, sir."

Shougo's hopes deflated, but he smiled for the girl despite his anxiety. "Ah, that's fine. Thanks anyway." He turned to leave, but the girl quickly touched his shoulder. "Hm? What's up?"

"I don't mean to intrude, and I realize you are in quite the hurry, but pray what does this Rei Sagara look like?"

Shougo crossed his arms and brought a visual image of Rei into his mind. Gradually his expression softened as he described the manager to the young woman. "Well, he's shorter than me, and always wears a brown suit with a white shirt and tie. He has glasses, but today he's wearing a pair of shades I brought for him. He's got sorta short green hair that's parted down the middle, and his expression is always really stern-looking; but every once in a while, he smiles... and that smile could charm an entire room if the people in it were paying attention. Which is why I'm worried." He ran a hand down his face and sighed. "He left without telling me where he was headed, and now I have no idea where he is! He could be locked up in someone's room, or he could be being chased by a pack of..."

He slowly stopped himself. _Crap, at the rate I'm going she'll probably think I'm madly in love with him._

 _But I really, really am... And I'm seriously afraid. I'm afraid..._

Shougo coughed nervously and tried to keep his expression neutral. "A-anyway, that's Rei in a nutshell." When he was finished, he opened his eyes to see the lady giving him a tiny smile. "What? What're you smiling about?"

She looked down shyly at her feet, but her eyes peeked up at him through her fine eyelashes. "I apologize, I don't mean to be rude, but... It really sounds like you care a great deal about this person, as if he is more than just a comrade. Am I wrong?"

Shougo felt his face heat up. He was readying to deny it, to lie and say that he and Rei were merely close friends; but then he remembered. _Soon we'll be married. I don't want to pretend that he means less to me than he does anymore. He's important to me, and I shouldn't be ashamed of that._ So, even though it would mean risking the possible future reveal of their relationship to the world, Shougo looked her right in the eye and told her the truth. "No, I do. He is everything to me."

The lady beamed at him. "Well then, allow me to accompany you on your search! I cannot stand by as two lovers remain separated by cruel circumstance!"

Shougo blushed even more. "O-okay then..." He was trying fiercely to be proud of his love in front of others, but he'd been hiding it for so long that it was going to take some getting used to.

The young woman grabbed his arm and tugged on it, pointing her now closed-up parasol down the hall like a lancer challenging an opponent. "Onward, then! Tally-ho, Mr... Erm..."

"Shougo. Shougo Sena."

"Ah yes, nice to meet you. My name happens to be Aria." She cleared her throat and gestured again with her parasol. "Like I was saying, onward!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the old bartender (whom both Rei and Shougo later discovered was named Herry) had picked a rounded table in the middle of the room to start their drinking competition. Rei was feeling pretty confident, although some tiny part of him sensed that there were more favorable cards in the opponent's hand. But it didn't really matter, he told himself. He and Shougo had both been drinking together for years, and they had both managed to hold down their liquor like champions every time. There wasn't much that could phase him.

Until he saw the bottle that slammed onto the table. His heart quaked. That label he knew very well. It was the same potent drink that he'd used to wreak havoc at Kisaragi's hotel party. No fucking way. There was absolutely _no fucking way_ that this gruff sailor could know about...

"Suiken is the sake of choice today, gentlemen!" Herry announced with a prideful, booming voice. All the men in the room gathered around the table to hear more. "This is a prized bottle of Japanese sake that's said to make a man drunk with one swig. It's 50% proof, so watch your tongues if you go samplin' some! You might just choke on it in your drunken stupor!"

Some of the men laughed; others looked around nervously as if to check for fair warning of their friends daring them to drink a cup. Herry tossed a dark smile over at Rei and continued on once the murmurs died down. "Since our friend here obviously hails from Japan, I figured I'd be kind and pick a home favorite for him. There's no way you can lose this fight, eh son? I'd be right shocked outta my boots to see you fail against a rickety old man like me."

Rei swallowed his rising anger and took a deep breath to relax his nerves. _Okay, so he has a bottle of Suiken. That's no big deal. Nobody can handle more than one taste of that stuff, no matter how rough and tough they think they are! All I have to do is let him take the first sip, then he'll be out like a light. I'll win and this debacle will finally be over!_

Herry walked over to his side of the table and plopped himself down. His hulking frame made the table seem like a toy for toddlers, and Rei could already feel his heart sinking along with that poor wooden chair. Leaning his one arm imposingly on the wood, the old man grinned at his opponent. "Shall I go first?" He paused for effect, and when Rei opened his mouth to give him the honor, he took it anyway before anybody could even blink. "You know, I think I should, just so that you can have an edge. 'Cause I'm nice like that."

He pulled a shot glass out of his pocket and shined it on his shirt before setting it down. Then he grabbed the Suiken and started to pour. Rei's mouth hung open a little wider with each drop of liquid the guy added to his glass. _Does this man have some kind of death wish or something!?_ The old bastard didn't stop until the sake reached halfway up his glass. "There, that oughta do 'er nicely."

Seriously!? Rei watched him pick up the glass and observe the drink inside for a moment. He was kind of expecting to see Herry stuff that entire cup in his thirsty mouth, glass and all; then once the liquor was gone he was pretty sure that barbarian would chew up the cup and swallow it, too. Either that, or they were going to see an old fool die from alcohol poisoning.

The crowd around them went dead still as the barkeep lifted his glass to his lips. The tension in the room was unbelievable, but Rei didn't allow himself to get disheartened this early in the game. _Nobody can drink that much Suiken and stay standing! Nobody!_

The glass tilted, and the sake drained from Herry's glass into his mouth in seconds. He took a big swallow, then slammed the glass upside down on the table with a satisfied sigh. Rei eyeballed him, just waiting for the creep to topple over.

But minute after minute ticked past, and Herry _didn't go unconscious. He just smiled! It was like nothing had happened!_

That seriously freaked Rei out. This was the absolute, definite first time he'd ever seen anyone hold their Suiken without passing out or worse. This guy wasn't even Japanese! How could he have such a strong constitution!? He began to think that maybe this wasn't real Suiken after all. Maybe that bastard was just saying that it was to throw him off. Yet... that was the label for Suiken, no doubt about it...

The men around them cheered and crowed in amazement. They were all just as astounded as Rei that one old, washed-up sailor could drink that sake and walk away like he'd just drank a cup of water. Herry laughed and got a few hearty claps on the back before he turned to face the manager again. Slowly he pushed the bottle across the table. "Right. One down! Your go there, lad."

Everyone's eyes honed in attentively on Rei, watching him like a hawk. Their curiosity had peaked, and they were eager to see if the young man could live up to his word. The pressure was on, and Rei started to feel unsure about himself for the first time in his life. He had only given Suiken to others; he'd never been brave enough to have some himself! And now they were all going to expect him to keep up the pace and drink the same amount as that old coot! Shit, how could this have gone so wrong!?

Picking up the bottle, he could tell that there was still tons of sake left in it. _I wonder how much of this that man can drink? I wonder how much_ I _can drink...?_ There was only one way to find out. No backing out now...

He poured a small amount in the glass that one of the other bartenders had placed down for him, but Herry shook his head. "Not enough. You gotta match me. Keep pouring." Fuck, the guy was paying too much attention. Rei frowned and added a bit more. Again, Herry protested. "Still not quite there, son." Rei grimaced and filled his glass right to half. Finally the barkeep nodded. "Yep, there she be. Now, down the hatch!"

The manager reached for his glass, but the ominous chill in his bones made him hesitate. Was he really going to do this for the sake of his own pride? Could he even handle a glass half-filled with 50% alcohol - and not just any alcohol, but the infamous Suiken!? Herry seemed to sense his thoughts and smirked.

"There ain't nothing wrong with backing out. You wouldn't be the first to get intimidated by this here sake. None of us men'll think any less of you. Am I right?"

The roar of agreement from the guys in the bar managed to piss Rei off. Of course they would think less. They might never say it out loud, but every time they saw his face they'd be thinking it. Boy, son, lad... The young man who cried wolf and then ran home to mommy. Yeah, there goes the coward who didn't even try to beat that bartender at his own game. Their imaginary thoughts rang like hollow drums in his ears, and that made Rei good and mad; and when people get angry, they become blinded by their rage. They do stupid things.

So it was that Rei brought the shot glass up to his lips and drank - not a little, not some, but all of it.

* * *

Shougo and his new friend Aria had been searching the ship all afternoon, but neither of them had had any luck finding Rei. The singer was becoming thoroughly distraught. He wasn't in their room, he hadn't been at the pool, and he didn't seem to be anywhere on deck. Pretty soon he was going to have to start knocking doors down.

"Excuse me! Excuse me, hello? Yes, I'm sorry to bother you but my friend here," explained Aria to yet another S.S. Myriad passenger as she patted Shougo's arm, "is looking for his fiancé. He's been gone for quite some time, and we're getting quite anxious. Hopefully you've seen him? He's - "

"I'm sorry, did you say his fiancé is a _man?_ " Shougo was done being embarrassed about it. The _last_ twenty people they'd talked to had said the exact same thing, and the _next_ twenty people they asked would react the same, so what was the point of letting it bother him? All he felt now was numbness and an urgent need to find Rei.

"Yes, you heard correctly. Why? Is that a problem?" Aria crossed her arms and looked huffily down her nose at the guy, who seemed to shrink in size despite standing three feet taller than her. "Does that bother you? Well, my goodness, I'm so sorry that that offends your delicate ladylike sensibilities! There is a human life out there, somewhere, that means everything to this man here, and all you can do is meet it with scorn? Shame on you for entertaining such poppycock when we have a real crisis on our hands! Why, the nerve of some people! Honestly!"

The man mumbled a brief apology, looking ashamed and embarrassed as he did. Aria frowned and waved him off. "Do not apologize if it is not sincere, my poor chap."

Shougo glanced down at her and smiled. He'd never known anyone in Japan to be as dignified or as fiesty as this British woman. Not only was she accepting of his relationship with Rei, she was actually defending him and giving her all to help him find the manager. It was a lucky thing he had met her when he did.

 _I've never been more grateful to have such a nice friend._

"So, do hurry and tell us anything you may have heard of Rei Sagara, sir. We don't happen to have the luxury of time to waste here with you."

The passenger's cheeks flared and he curtly mentioned that he didn't have any idea who Rei was. He quickly apologized for being of little help and then beat a hasty retreat to his room, slamming the door and locking it behind him. Aria turned to Shougo after this little display and looked up at him with concern.

"I'm dreadfully sorry. I had no idea that there would be so many like that uncouth man aboard this vessel. I'm even more sorry that he provided no good information on your partner. I'm afraid we're still at square one... Drat it all!"

Shougo was kind of miserable, but Aria was easing the pain just by being here, by being herself. _I mean, really, who still talks that way in this day and age?_ She was cheering him up without even trying to. He didn't want to drag her down, so he did his best to stay positive as always. "It's fine, really. Rei's probably still somewhere on the ship. We just have to check a different place this time." He managed a weak smile before letting out a weary sigh.

"A different place... Yes, that sounds like a - oh!" Aria slammed her fist into her palm as a sudden realization took hold of her. "That's the ticket! Why hadn't I thought of that sooner!?"

"What? What's the ticket?" Shougo asked. He silently thanked his parents for sending him to study abroad in England for a few years. Otherwise he'd be utterly lost when it came to this girl's terminology.

Aria smiled cheerily at him and grabbed his hand. Then she bolted down the hall without any warning, her fancy parasol protruding over her shoulder and almost smacking Shougo in the face with each step. He followed behind her as best he could, but was actually having some trouble keeping up - partially from how fast she was moving, but mostly it was that damn umbrella.

"Aria... Where are we going!?" he asked, holding up his hand to block more vicious attacks from her parasol.

She glanced back at him and giggled. "We're going to pay my daddy a visit! He knows this ship inside out and backwards! If he can't find Rei, nobody can!"

* * *

Shougo's jaw dropped when he entered the bar. Apparently Aria's father was a bartender by profession, but he also owned the entire deluxe liner as well. He was lucky enough to have won the lottery early on in life, but you'd never guess by his appearance that he was wealthy. And according to the description she'd given him on the way down here, right now her father was having a major drinking contest with...

" _Rei!_ "

It was wall-to-wall people in the pub, yet through the cracks between them he could see snatches of the manager's brown suit and the barkeep's sailor's outfit. The crowd was as wild as a mob, jumping up and down and screaming so loud that he couldn't understand what they were saying. Rei would never hear him over that noise.

He turned swiftly to Aria, his expression both relieved and frustrated. "He's here, I just saw him! But I'll never be able to get through!"

Aria smiled kindly and touched his shoulder. "Don't you worry about that, Shougo. Leave this to me."

Then she stepped forward, moving close towards the fray, and the singer felt a sharp pang of panic stab at his heart. Those crazy men could crush her like a wildflower in their frenzied state and they wouldn't even notice! He reached out to stop her, and yelled, "No Aria, hold up!"

But it was too late.

She was already within arm's reach of the nearest guy, and she grabbed his sleeve to tug at it gently. "Excuse me, sir."

The man ripped his sleeve away and turned on her angrily, no doubt upset at being pulled away from the action. Shougo set his jaw and took a step, ready to protect her if he had to. But the instant that the guy looked down and saw who she was, his face paled.

"L-lady Aria...!" he stammered. Shougo blinked. _Lady Aria?_

"Hello! Could you please ask your fellows to move aside so my friend and I can see my father?" she asked. Her hand reached out behind her for Shougo, so he came up and took it, feeling more bemused than he had in ages.

"Of course, absolutely! Right away, miss!" The guy speedily complied amidst repeated apologies, and to Shougo's astonishment that man merely had to whisper the title 'Lady Aria' and the crowd dispersed as swiftly as if it had never been. The group parted right down the middle, making a clean path for them to use, and Aria smiled reassuringly before leading Shougo on after her. It was like she'd known the whole time that these men would act this way.

The entire room stared as the both of them passed by, eyes filled with adoration and a little bit of fear. He leaned down to murmur in Aria's ear, "Are you sure that you aren't the real owner of this ship?"

She grinned and replied just as quietly, "You would be amazed to see just how many people respect the shipmaster's daughter. Mostly because if anything happened to me, daddy would pummel them to the brink of death."

She said it so happily that Shougo winced, and it got worse when they came in plain view of her father, Herry.

 _I can see why they wouldn't want to touch her now..._

Upon closer inspection, Herry didn't look so great. The gargantuan monster of a man was hunched on the table, lying in a minefield of shot glasses, drooling, looking as if he hadn't slept in years. Shougo turned to glance at Rei. He was just barely holding on to his seat, staring ahead vacantly, wobbling as if he were going to faint at any given moment. There were equally as many empty glasses on his side of the table, too. Then the singer looked over at the bottle lying on its side in between the drunken duo.

"Woah, is that a bottle of Suiken!?" That would explain his practically comatose fiancé and Aria's half-dead father. He reached over to pick up the bottle. He tipped it upside down. It was _completely empty._ Was it full when they started!? Shougo gaped at the two of them. "Are you guys on meds!? You drank a whole bottle of true-blue Suiken! How are you even breathing!?"

Rei started violently, as if he hadn't noticed Shougo's presence until that very second, and looked blearily up at him. "Oh... S'you. Care fr' a drink...?" He was slurring his words terribly, and the blonde was certain that he'd never seen Rei that smashed before, ever. Then, right on cue, Herry lifted his head and growled.

"Oi! Ya c'n't... jus' give 'way a man's... drink 'thout askin' 'im!" he grumbled.

Rei tipsily glared over at the sailor and pointed a wobbly finger at him. "You jus' shuttup! I beat you... fair n' square! I c'n give y'r... Suiken to 'Ooever I want! Damn old man!"

"Eh!? Ya n'ver beat me, punk! I's jus' restin'!" Herry pushed his chair out and stood angrily.

"Pfffffft. Lies... Y'r a man o' lies!"

"I be a man-o-war, ya sick puppy! C'mere! Lemme show ya!"

They went back and forth like that for some time, and Shougo wanted to take Rei back to their room before he made more of a spectacle of himself; but he didn't have the heart to interrupt such a sad, sad argument between the two. Besides, he was kind of afraid of trying to interfere with drunk, angry men who both knew how to fight. Aria seemed to be of the same mind, shaking her head disappointedly.

"Oh papa... Not again..." she sighed.

Shougo frowned at her reaction. "What, this happened once before?"

"Yes... Papa can easily get riled up, and whenever a customer upsets him he challenges them to a drinking contest. He'd rather drink than fight, you see."

"Really?" Shougo looked back over at the burly man slinging insults like they were bricks. "I'm pretty sure he could win any fight blindfolded, though. One punch and they'd be done."

Aria nodded in agreement. "Yes, he likely could; but papa said he'd seen enough fighting during his lifetime. He used to be in the Navy as a young man, and too many of his friends never made it back home to their families. After that, he vowed never to physically harm another human being again as long as he lived." She smiled slightly. "I really respect that he chose a more peaceful method to settle his disputes."

The arguing between Herry and Rei abruptly rose to a clashing crescendo, and the two friends had to plug their ears to keep their eardrums from bleeding not just from the volume, but also from the colorful language used by both parties. She smiled ruefully at Shougo. "Well, it's generally more peaceful than this."

"I'm having a hard time believing that," Shougo replied loudly. They were going to have to resort to sign language just to communicate if this kept up.

"No, honestly! Nobody he's called out so far has stayed conscious this long! After one sip, they drop like flies!"

"So... he challenges _everybody_ to drink Suiken with him!?" Shougo stared at Aria like she was part of an insane asylum. "Why doesn't he let them pick something less... powerful?"

"Daddy always figured he could win the contest if he picked Suiken because..." Aria held up her thumb emphatically. "A: nobody else he's met so far has drank that brand of sake as much as he has, and" - her index finger shot up beside her thumb - "B: he can actually last for a decent while past his first sip."

Shougo's eyes bugged out. "What!? How's that possible!?"

"He had a few Japanese Navy buddies who used to swear by Suiken. They let him drink it with them whenever their families sent them a bottle or two, and eventually he became somewhat immune to its knockout properties." She looked over at Herry, who was now snoring loudly as he lay on the table. "Not completely immune obviously, but he could suck back a few without falling over stone-drunk. However, it seems that your fiancé was a good match for him this time. I haven't seen him this sloshed before!"

Shougo chuckled as he glanced fondly over at Rei. The manager was huddled on the floor like a baby, sleeping soundly. "Well, he's been my drinking buddy since we met, and he's not one to back down from a challenge."

"Has he ever drank Suiken before?"

The blonde shook his head. "Not as far as I know. He's had some sake, but mostly we drink beer."

"Really!?" Aria looked down at Rei, suddenly appearing to be even more impressed. "So this was his first time? He did really well to compete so thoroughly with my papa, one of the few English Suiken veterans!"

Shougo grinned and knelt beside Rei, reaching down to gently brush some of his hair aside. The older man moved his face slightly into the singer's touch and smiled.

"Yep, he did all right."

* * *

Rei moaned and cracked his eyes open a tiny slit. It hurt just to think, but opening his eyes was even more painful. Trying to move his limbs ended in utter failure, and that meant he could be at anybody's mercy. He hated such predicaments with a passion. But even worse than that, his throat felt extremely clogged, like somebody had stuffed a bag of cotton swabs inside. Just how long had he been out for, and what moronic things had he done before hitting rock bottom? ... Bah, it didn't matter! Right now he could hardly breathe he was so thirsty! _Water... I need water!_

Before he could give voice to the request, Shougo was there beside him with a cup in hand. He smiled and brought his arm around Rei's shoulders, carefully shifting him into a sitting position. "So... You're finally awake. I was starting to think you were dead, you know." He held the cup up to the manager's lips and tipped a splash of cold water into his mouth. It was nothing special, just a glass of bottled water; but to Rei in that instant it was absolutely delicious. _Shougo, you are a lifesaver!_ He swallowed eagerly, waiting until his throat got a bit wet before daring to speak.

"Really...?" His voice sounded and felt scratchy, but at least the slur was gone. "I don't recall... anything..."

"That's not surprising, considering you and Herry managed to drink a whole full bottle of Suiken between the two of you."

"Herry...?"

Shougo nodded, letting Rei have another drink before answering. "Yeah, the bartender you aggravated. He's also the owner of the Myriad."

"What!?" Rei groaned as he tossed his head back. "I had no - ! Ugh, if only I'd known..." He opened one eye to stare intently at Shougo. "Did that old bastard kick us off the ship?"

"Nope. On the contrary! Once he'd recovered enough to talk coherently, Aria explained to him that this was our early honeymoon and he offered to let us stay for an extra week, no charge!" The singer stared up at the roof with a dreamy smile. "What a nice guy! We really should keep in touch, don't you think?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rei sat up a bit more and grabbed Shougo's sleeve. "Hold it! Who the hell is Aria!? Why does this Herry guy know about our honeymoon!? Does he know anything else I should be concerned about!?"

"Easy Rei, easy." The blonde tried to ease him back down onto the bed, but Rei was not having any of it. "You're still a bit out of it. Don't push yourself."

"I'll push myself any damn way I want to!" he spat, his eyes snapping with fire. "Seriously Shougo, what the hell's going on!?"

"Okay, okay!" Shougo held his hands out in front of him in a reciprocating gesture. "I'll explain everything if you'll just calm down."

As much as Rei wanted to be _anything_ but calm, he knew that Shougo wouldn't leak the details to him if he didn't do as he was asked. He took a deep breath, let it out irritably, and settled down into his pillows with arms crossed. "Fine. I'm calm, see?"

"Not as calm as you could be..."

"Shougo, if you don't start cooperating in exactly five seconds, I'm going to kill you. Just _tell me_ , already!"

"Alright..." The singer shrugged resignedly before spreading himself out on the bed beside Rei. He linked his hands together across his stomach and sighed. "When I woke up, you weren't beside me anymore; you'd disappeared. I basically freaked. I thought that maybe somebody had kidnapped you and was holding you hostage in their cabin or something."

 _Aw shit,_ Rei thought with a mental facepalm, _I said I'd be right back, didn't I?_

"So I ran off to go search for you. I ended up meeting this young British girl named Aria, who just so happens to be Herry's daughter, and she was the first one to figure out about us."

"You told her our secret, just like that!?"

Shougo shook his head hard. "No, no!" He paused, and after a second he sweatdropped. His poker face had failed. "... Well, okay... I kind of did, yeah."

Rei glared at him and he began to stammer in a panic, flailing his arms about. "B-but! _But_ , at first I was gonna lie, j-just like you told me to, and tell her that we were only friends! Honest, I really was! Then I got to thinking... soon we'd be married, and I was tired of lying about how much I care about you, and then I figured I shouldn't be ashamed of my love so... s-so I ended up telling her the truth... Anyway, she guessed my feelings before I even confessed at all, so lying would've been pointless, right!?"

The manager didn't know what to say. _I must really mean a lot to him... And yet I made him worry for no reason. I let my pride get in the way, I acted irresponsibly... and because of that I... I really hurt the one I love. Shit, I'm despicable..._

Rei stared down at his lap solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Shougo's eyes were squeezed shut, probably because he expected to be scolded, but when he heard that his gaze immediately centered on Rei's face. He became instantly alert. "Hm? Sorry for what?"

"For everything. For leaving without telling you where I was going, for not coming back sooner, for nearly drowning myself in sake..." He didn't want Shougo to see the unshed tears in his eyes so he continued to divert them, to aim them at anything but the blonde. "I was being selfish and didn't consider your feelings. I'm the worst... Really, I wouldn't blame you for getting mad at me. I wouldn't. Because of my actions, our honeymoon was ruined."

In a matter of seconds Shougo had him by the chin and was staring him dead in the eyes. Hot tears slid down Rei's cheeks and all he could do was feel mortified that Shougo was watching him cry like an infant. He tried to pull away, but the grip on his face tightened. That handsome visage should have been filled with righteous anger; but all he saw instead was a warm, comforting, perfectly forgiving man. This person, this kind, sweet guy with a heart of gold, was going to forgive him for doing something so awful and so agonizing without a second thought.

Nobody was that angelic but Shougo.

"Rei. Repeat after me." The singer leaned forward and placed a featherlight kiss on his partner's lips. "I forgive myself."

"Shougo - "

He pressed his forehead against Rei's and smiled. "Say it."

"But, I..."

"If you don't say it right now I'll drag you outside, gather everyone on this ship, and we'll hold the wedding in front of every single rich stranger aboard."

A massive blush crept onto Rei's face, consuming it entirely. "You wouldn't...!"

"Oh yeah? Just watch me." With a playful wink, Shougo snatched Rei up in his arms and headed for the door. Of course, Rei dreaded being publicly embarrassed by the man he loved. And who knew how many journalist celebrity stalkers there were on board, just waiting to carry home a juicy news story like this! There really was nothing for it, then.

"All right, fine! I'll say it!" Shougo was reaching for the doorknob, and stopped mere inches away from it as Rei grasped frantically at his arm. "I'll say it, so let's not get too hasty!"

"You'll say it?" He watched his fiancé out of the corner of his eye, a smile dancing on his lips. "You'll _really_ say it?"

"Y-yeah, I will."

"Promise?"

Rei grumbled curses under his breath for a moment. "Yeah, yeah... I promise, okay?"

Shougo beamed and brought his lover back to the bed, laying him down softly before moving himself on top. He wasn't very heavy, but Rei could still feel the weight of his body pressing him into the mattress. Both arms encircled the manager's waist as he licked at the base of Rei's throat.

"Mm... Shougo..."

The blonde then sucked on his neck and hummed pleasantly, and Rei felt the vibrations to his very core. Those lips left his skin for only a second, and they whispered, "Say it..."

He wasn't going to get off the hook until he said it, huh? Shougo could be so stubborn sometimes... especially when it came to love. Thank fucking God. He moaned and clutched Shougo's back like it was his only lifeline.

"... I..."

"Hmm?" Shougo hummed against his skin again, making the entire area tingle wonderfully. Rei was going to explode from this sudden wave of joyous completeness that was coming over him. He sighed with ultimate contentment.

"I... forgive myself. There, are you happy now?"

The singer lifted his lips for another instant, tossing his partner a smouldering, heady look. "I won't quit until you say it like you mean it." He then lowered his mouth and continued with his ministrations. Rei squirmed uncontrollably under him as his arousal rose to a fever pitch. It was clear that they were both going to be stuck here for a while...

"God damn it, Shougo! How can I do that when you're distracting me like this...!?"

* * *

Rei was sitting at one of the bar tables, and he was wishing he could be anywhere else but here. Herry and Aria sat across from him, and Shougo was sitting beside him, totally oblivious to the uncomfortable atmosphere that visibly hovered in the air. Looking up, he met old Herry's eyes. They both turned away.

"So, the reason why I summoned you here today," Aria was saying with all earnestness, "is because my father has something he would like to say to Mr. Rei. Papa?" The old bartender stayed silent for a long while until his daughter nudged him with the pointy end of her parasol. " _Papa...?_ "

He flinched, glared at her, then glared at Rei. "I apologize for starting a fight with you," he grumbled. "It was... improper."

Shougo grinned and turned to look at his fiancé. "How nice! It's your turn, Rei!"

His death stare didn't intimidate Shougo in the least. "God damn you..." he hissed.

"Now, now... I think it's about time we were all friends. Go on, say you're sorry too."

Rei's eye twitched. The singer appeared to be cheery and innocent, but he'd caught that predatory glint in his eye. If he started another fight, Shougo would do unimaginable things to him in bed that would make him change his tune. He growled in frustration. Out of the frying pan and into the fire... Again.

"I'm... sorry as well," he ground out. "You may have started our fight, but I kept it going. So... yeah. Sorry."

Aria and Shougo both exchanged looks, and then they each nodded. "Alright then," they said in unison, "Shake hands, you two."

Rei and Herry gawked in disbelief at the smug little peacekeepers, then they leered evilly at each other from across the table. Flames burned in the background as they stared each other down.

Aria sighed. "Ahem... Papa? If you please..."

Shougo cocked an eyebrow. "Rei, don't make this harder than it has to be..."

Very slowly, extremely grudgingly, both men stood and approached each other. After staring at their hands as if they were foreign objects for five minutes, Rei stuck his out stiffly, and Herry took it just as stonily. They shook once, glaring daggers all the while, and separated quickly, like holding on any longer would give them each a devastating disease.

"There! I did what you told me to do, lass!" Herry bellowed, stomping out of the room with great strides. "Now I'll be leavin'!"

Rei crossed his arms and shook his head as the door slammed behind the bartender. "This was a perfectly good waste of a chunk of my life! The next time I come in here, I'm going to have another bottle of Suiken on my hands, I can already see it."

"No, Mr. Rei, I will not allow that. Please feel free to come in here as much as you like without worrying about being harassed." Aria smiled kindly, and Rei blinked at her. She smiled a lot like a certain singer he knew. "I honestly didn't think papa would pick on others like that... He's usually quite a nice man. I suppose you caught him at a bad time, but still I am very sorry for his rude behavior then and now. I do hope you will both take up his offer to stay with us another week...?"

Rei couldn't bring himself to be curt. She _had_ helped Shougo to find him, after all. And she hadn't asked for anything in return either, except for friendship. Aria was a truly nice girl - polite, charming, elegant. Everything Shougo had said about her yesterday was proving to be right on the mark. The way he described how she had parted the rowdy bar crowd as if it were the simplest thing in the world...

This woman was amazing!

"Of course we will; but Miss Aria, please. You can call me Rei."

"Likewise, you can simply call me Aria," she responded with a giggle. "Hm, it's no wonder Shougo likes you so much. Quite the interesting character you have, Rei."

He could feel his face flaring up, but despite that he tried to keep an impassive expression. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"One minute, you can be bold and daring; the next, you are genteel and mild." Aria leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, smiling coyly. "There is no 'one side' to your personality, is there? So many colors, so many attributes. Anyone would be lucky to have such an immensely interesting counterpart."

Shougo leaned over to whisper inconspicuously in the manager's ear, "See? Didn't I tell you she was super perceptive?"

Rei wasn't accustomed to such accurate straightforwardness. No one had ever called him an open book before, but she was reading him as plainly as if he were no more than a small children's story. Somehow she had seen right through him, and they had only been talking for a few minutes. He began to understand why Shougo came clean with her about their relationship. Lying would not work on her, that much was certain.

"I must say though, I was surprised to find so very little people on the Myriad who truly comprehend that type of love. It was shockingly disturbing, to say the least! But, worry not, I understand." One of Aria's elegantly gloved hands reached over to pat Rei's reassuringly. "I won't condemn you two for your feelings. Love is a treasure that isn't often found, especially the true kind. Make sure to hold onto it tightly, no matter what anyone else may say! Oh, by the by, Shougo informed me of your little predicament, and you can rest assured that I will do my best to help!"

Rei was also floored by her proper speech, and even more by her proper attitude. _Do women like this really exist somewhere!?_ He was so stunned that he almost missed her entire spiel. "Predicament? Huh?"

"Indeed. In your homeland, nobody knows of your relationship. Is that right?"

"Y-yes..."

"And it is not possible for you to be married there. Correct?"

"That's right..."

"Well then, leave it all to me!" Aria clenched her fist and a great look of determination overcame her delicate features. "I will bring you home to Mother England and have you both married under my supervision! I will personally see to it! No one has the right to deny you your bright future together, not even your own country!"

"Ah... Um..." Rei hadn't thought that she would commit to something as big as that. He was grateful, but also a bit freaked by her enthusiasm. "That's very generous of you, but..."

"Pray don't mention it." She waved at him as if she did this kind of thing all the time. "I care greatly about my companions, and wish for all of them to be happy! You and Shougo may be newly acquired friends on my list, but that doesn't mean that your happiness is less valuable to me than any of the others!"

Rei turned to Shougo, hoping he could convince him to politely back out of this arrangement. But the blonde was staring off into the distance at nothing, already daydreaming about their English wedding.

"Man, it's been so long! I wonder if anything's changed since I was last there? Ah, I know the best spot to have it too! What about..."

The manager looked from Shougo to Aria, then back again. He slammed his face into the table, not caring about how much it hurt. "No one's listening to me..."

* * *

"Ryouma! Ryouma! Guess what!?"

The young actor poked his head out from the kitchen. "What's up, Izumi?"

"I got a letter from onii-chan and Rei!" He pulled the envelope out of his bag and waved it around. "Remember how I told you that they were going on a vacation together? Well, onii-chan said he'd send me a letter just as soon as he could! This is the very first one!"

"A letter? Why didn't he just email you?"

Izumi shrugged. "Who knows? Onii-chan can do some pretty unexpected stuff sometimes. Believe it or not, once he actually asked me if he could read my manga!"

 _That does sound like Shougo. He's about as random as they come._

Ryouma smiled and came over to sit down beside Izumi. "What are you waiting for, then? Open it up!"

But he didn't seem ready to open it just yet. The otaku weighed the envelope carefully in his hand, frowning slightly. "Hmm... It's kinda heavy. Maybe there's more than just a letter inside...?"

"Could be that Shougo sent photos from the trip," Ryouma suggested. "Those would fit in an envelope that size."

Izumi's eyes lit up at the idea. "Pictures!? Awesome! I want to see them!" After ripping the envelope apart, they discovered a handwritten letter and, indeed, a small collection of photographs. Before Ryouma could blink, the letter had been shoved into his hands.

"Hey, Izumi...!"

The blonde was already sifting through the photos. "Go ahead and read it, Ryouma. I'll check it out after I'm done looking at these!"

Ryouma sighed heavily. He didn't really want to tell Izumi that he didn't give a shit what Shougo had to say, so he dully began perusing the letter. Straight away he noticed that the writing was very neat and elegant-looking. _This is beautifully written... I doubt that Shougo would ever write that well. I wonder if Rei sent this letter?_ He held the paper at different angles as he examined it, trying to imagine what those two actually wrote like. The first thing that came to mind was Rei sitting at an ancient writing desk with a quill and some ink, scribbling away on a piece of parchment. Definitely elegant.

Then Shougo sprang into his head, and he was sitting on the floor cross-legged, holding a green crayon with his fist and drawing illegible things on a sheet of construction paper with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth.

Um... Not that the singer was a child or anything, but Ryouma felt it was a fairly accurate comparison between the two of them. He snickered to himself.

Either way, he wouldn't really know who wrote it unless he started reading, so he peered at the opening line.

 _My dearest, sweet, perfect, adorable little Izumi..._

Holy shit, this was Shougo's writing after all. Ryouma sweatdropped. Boy, had he been way far off!

 _How are things with you? I hope you aren't missing me too much! I think about you every day, and I miss you tons! Oh yeah... Make sure to let me know if Ryouma-kun crosses the line, 'kay? I'll be sure to take care of him for you._

The youth blinked. _Take care of me... how?_ Something deep down told him that he didn't really want to know. He shuddered and kept reading.

 _Anyway, I've decided to start being honest about this, so I'll tell you first out of everyone in the family. I know I said that Rei and I were going on vacation together, but... Well, now that I think about it, it is sort of like a vacation, I guess. Do honeymoons count as vacations?_

Ryouma read that last sentence and nearly laughed out loud. Say what!? Rei and Shougo were married!? His hand holding the letter fell limply to his side as he raked the other through his hair. The expression on his face was one of pure amazement. All along he'd had a sneaking suspicion about those two, but never in a million years would he have expected them to tie the knot! It made sense though; they couldn't get married here, so they left on 'vacation' to get married elsewhere.

He was astounded... while at the same time a little envious.

 _I wish it were that simple for Izumi and I. But they'd both murder me if I tried it..._

Ryouma gloomily stared at the rest of the finely written words, suddenly feeling dispassionate. He didn't really want to read more, but he did. Stupid conflicting emotions! Glancing over to make sure that Izumi was still preoccupied, he turned slightly away and continued the letter.

 _Yep, so now the secret's out! We're finally married! It was a totally wicked wedding! I would've loved to have you guys there - maybe even Ryouma-kun too, if he kept his hands, eyes and mouth completely to himself. But, since that was pretty much impossible (both you being there and Ryouma behaving for once), I sent you some pictures of it instead! We went to England for the ceremony (I kinda missed this place!) and one of the new friends we made on the deluxe liner helped out with the preparations. Her name is Aria, and I sent you some pics of her, too! She's the really fancily-dressed lady on my left. Her father, Herry, is the scowling, grumpy old guy on Rei's right. Don't worry, though - he's seriously a nice dude. He's just like that because him and Rei had a drinking contest and they wasted his whole precious bottle of Suiken on it. H_ _e's a bartender and the owner of the cruise ship we were on, the S.S. Myriad._

Suiken? Did he mean the legendary Japanese sake Suiken!? Rei and that Herry guy drank an entire bottle of it!? Ryouma began to feel envious again - not because of the alcohol, but because they were missing out on some prime experiences. _Argh! So many crazy things are happening without us!_ If he and Izumi had been there, man, their cameras would've been snapping photos all day long.

 _All in all, I'd say it was a pretty fun trip. We got to enjoy the sun, met some super cool people... But more importantly, now I can finally say that Rei is all mine. I don't have to watch him like a hawk anymore - I still gotta keep an eye on him once in a while (he's just too handsome! He draws oodles of attention to himself!), but my worries have gone waaaay down. I don't have to stress myself out over him finding someone new when I'm out on tour; and if he looks at people other than me it's fine, because I know that his heart beats only for me. He really loves me. I mean, I knew anyway, but this really cemented it! That doesn't mean I enjoy watching girls, and even some guys, fawning over him though. Damn flirts..._

 _Oh yeah! Herry promised us an extra week's stay on the Myriad for free because of the whole Suiken fiasco, and we were both eager to take that offer! S_ _o, we'll probably be back in a week or so from now. Take care while we're gone, and don't let that pervert Ryouma-kun touch you. I mean it._

 _Ryouma-kun, if you're reading this right now, hands off of Izumi. You touch him_ at all, _and I'll see to it that you won't even be able to touch yourself ever again._

 _Can't wait to see you! Counting down the days! xoxoxo_

 _Your awesome onii-chan, Shougo._

Wow. Ryouma smiled, even though the threat of losing an appendage was looming in the back of his brain. He could relate to Shougo's joy. There had been a similar emotion stirring in his breast after he had regained his memories of Izumi and they had that heart-to-heart. It's totally uplifting to know that someone loves you and only you, and that they're never going to give up on you no matter what the situation is.

 _Good for you, Shougo. You may be a jerk who stole my one chance at the music scene, but if you can be flawlessly happy like that, then so can I. One day, I'll make Izumi mine too._

"Hey Ryouma..." Izumi tugged on his sleeve, and he turned to face the otaku. "Why're all these pictures of the same thing? Did onii-chan and Rei get drunk and crash a wedding?"

 _Hopefully you'll be nowhere near us when that day comes..._


End file.
